Gap Teeth and Blue Hair
by Walrus Gumboot
Summary: Double D is dating Marie Kanker. When did this happen? How long has it been going on? And most importantly; Why! Let's hope his friends can deal with it. Brand new chapter as of May/2011
1. Is it So Wrong to be Loved?

**Gap Teeth and Blue Hair**

_(A/N): I don't own any Ed, Edd, n' Eddy characters. That would be pretty awesome though._

"All right fellows..." Double D said to his two closest friends. "Just sit down. There's something I need to tell you." The gang known as the Eds were in Eddy's room after completing another Friday at school. Ed, the lanky free spirit, was lying on Eddy's bed casually reading a comic book and Eddy, the shorter businesslike friend, was sitting on a chair in anticipation. Double D was pacing back and forth, because what he had to say was definitely going to jar them.

"You're coming out aren't you?" Eddy jested at his friend's expense. Double D sighed and rubbed his eyes. "Oh come on sockhead, its ok. I kinda always had a feeling you were. That reminds me, Ed you owe me five bucks". Ed didn't look up.

"Eddy, I'm not homosexual. And that's a terrible thing to bet on!" Double D scolded his friend complete with a wagging finger. Eddy snickered in response. Eddward took a deep breath and went over to the edge of the bed and sat down. "Ed, Eddy, you two are my best friends, and um...." Double D struggled with getting this information out. Eddy arched a brow. Whatever was going on with his friend was serious. All week, Double D had been distant, he was rarely home and the times that Eddy and Ed saw him, he seemed tired and nervous. On the way home from school, Double D pulled his two friends aside and told them he had something urgent to tell them. The ski cap wearing teen sat up and faced his comrades.

"Ok, here it goes." He said clasping his hands. "As I'm sure you two are aware, puberty can be a trying period for males. With all the new physical changes, such as growth spurts and acne, we're also bombarded with mental changes as well. We think of things differently and we change the beliefs we had as children. Puberty also changes the way we interact with others. It makes us more competitive with males…and makes us notice…females."

"Got that right!" Eddy retorted, following it with a session of laughter.

"That being said, I have found myself under puberty's spell, and its effects." Double D took another breath and started twittering with his hands. "And I've…started…a relationship with…a girl" Ed looked up from his comic, and Eddy's incessant giggling stopped. His friends were split in their reaction to Double D's news. Eddy had a huge grin, but Ed had a look of fright and shock on his face. Ed jumped up from his inert position on the bed and toward his intelligent friend. He grasped Eddward in a huge bear hug and started ranting like a madman.

"Double D no! You can't get into a relationship! What if she's a succubus come from the bowels of Hades to drain the life of Earth's male population?!" Ed sobbed and gripped Double D tightly as he struggled to get away.

"Ed, come now." Double D responded as he broke free from Ed's hug. "We're 16 and you've got to get past this phobia of girls."

"Yeah Lumpy, be happy! Our buddy is finally getting some action!" Eddy shouted with joy wrapping his arms around the necks of Double D and Ed. "Tell me, how far did you get?! Second base? Third? Tell me you got far, Sockhead!"

Eddward worked his way out from his friend's hold and regained his composure. He looked at Eddy with the perverted smile plastered on his face. Ed however was pouting. Double D was amazed at the fact that the trio were well into their teens, but Ed and Eddy were acting like the children he's known since he was two.

"Eddy, this is hard enough for me without entertaining your schoolboy fantasies." Eddy scoffed at Double D's defense. In response, Eddy grabbed his pal by the shoulders and started shaking him.

"What's so hard about having a girlfriend? Come on, man tell us everything! Tell us!" He shouted excitedly as the force of his shaking sent both him and Double D to the ground. Taking advantage of this situation, he pinned Eddward's arms to the ground. Double D tried shouting to be let up, but Eddy just grinned. "I'll let you up if you tell me one thing about this new girl." Eddy gasped as he realized who Double D's new paramour was.

"You dog! You're dating Nazz aren't you?!" He shouted happily. Double D struggled, but Eddy had been working out recently and had a very tight grip.

"It isn't Nazz, Eddy!" The poor boy pleaded. Ed looked over at his friends on the ground and joined in on the conversation.

"It can't be Sarah, she still hates boys, cept for Jimmy…wait is Jimmy a boy?" Ed rambled as his friends continued their argument.

"Monobrow's got a point, Double D. It's got to be Nazz!" Double D bit his lip. He had hoped to talk this out in civilized manner, but he should've known his best friends wouldn't allow that. Eddy kept demanding information, each word being pounded onto Eddward's face with a drop of saliva. Double D couldn't take it anymore. If he was ever going to tell them, it was now.

"It's Marie all right?!" Double D shouted, finding a new source of strength and pushing Eddy off of him. "I'm dating Marie Kanker!"

Silence filled the room. Double D brought his knees to his chest and hunched his shoulders. Ed, paralyzed by what he heard, fell to the ground and covered his head with his hands. Eddy, with a huge bruise forming on the back of his head, literally started foaming at the mouth. He looked at his friend with absolute rage in his eyes.

"Kanker?!" He shouted. "You're dating a Kanker?! Are you insane?!" The three Eds each got up from the floor and stared at one another. Feeling the pressure from his pals, Double D did his best to rationalize his recent behavior.

"Eddy, you have to understand." He began, trying to get his friend to calm down. He took both Eddy and Ed's shoulders and led them over to the bed and sat them down. "It's true; the three of us have a…history of sorts with the Kanker sisters. And trust me; I was skeptical when I first thought of being with Marie. But during the last week, I've gotten to know her, and believe me when I say that there is more to meet the eye when it comes to Marie Kanker."

Eddy scowled. Double D was supposed to be the smart one. Why in the world would he want to be with one of the girls that made their childhood a living hell? Sure she was attractive, but to Eddy, she was like her sister May and Lee; foul-mannered, mean-spirited stalkers who smell like motor oil and cheap perfume. Even Ed knew that being single was better than being with one of those trailer park vixens.

"So what?" Eddy questioned. "You want to marry her? Want to drop out of school and have kids with gap teeth and blue hair?" The short squat teen crossed his arms looked away from his traitor of a friend.

"Eddy, it's just a simple relationship. I like her, she obviously likes me. It's only logical that the two of us be together." This made Eddy fume even more. Ed, finally grasping the situation, came up with the question on everyone's mind.

"How did this happen, Double D?"

"Good question!" Eddy responded to Ed's query. Double D got up from the bed and stroked his chin.

"Well, I guess this all began this previous Sunday. I'll start from the beginning."

**Next Chapter- "Sunday, Muddy Sunday"**


	2. Sunday Muddy Sunday

It was a lovely Sunday evening in Peach Creek and the teen known as Double D was in the forest near the cul-de-sac taking a walk, enjoying the cool breezes and falling leaves that autumn had to offer. Normally, he'd be hanging out with his friends, thinking of a new way to pilfer money from their peers; their favorite activity since childhood. But Eddy and Ed were still grounded for their recent scam; a coffeehouse that was set up in Ed's home. It started as a good venture, up until Ed decided to get all the neighborhood teens their coffee quicker by running. He wound up tripping and spilling warm coffee over everyone, resulting in a punishment sentence of two weeks with no phone, TV, and in Ed's case, no stairs. Eddy was just glad he didn't make the coffee right, otherwise his grounding might've been longer had Ed spilled scalding drinks on everyone.

Luckily for Double D, he was ill when Eddy came up with his latest scam, and therefore was able to leave his home. Unfortunately, he discovered his life was pretty boring without his cohorts to run amok with. But this was the last weekend of his pals' punishment so to take his mind off of it; he went on a nature walk around Peach Creek, something he had done countless times before. Before he knew it, he reached his favorite spot under his favorite tree where he could watch the sun set. He sat down and leaned his back against the tree. The boy stretched his arms out and drooped his eyes to hazily watch the day end.

The relaxing sounds of nature surrounding him and the comfort of warm grass beneath him, allowed Double D's subconscious to take over and pull him down into a peaceful sleep. He would've slept there all night had it not been for a stray leaf falling on his nose. The presence of the leaf jerked Double D back into an awakened state. He looked at his watch and discovered he had been sleeping for two hours. It was nearly eight o'clock and he had to get home and make himself dinner. He yawned and stood but discovered that it had gotten very dark.

"Pesky daylights savings time" He muttered to himself, extending his hands in front of himself to find a path out of the forest. Usually, Double D was good with navigation, but in the absence of light he was completely lost. He stumbled blindly through the woods, desperately trying to get his eyes to adjust to the darkness. He gazed ahead of him and saw dim lights a few feet away. Absentmindedly, he sped over to the lights. He immediately regretted this decision once he felt the ground from under him disappear, and his frail body was sent tumbling down a very steep hill. Double D trashed around, trying to grab hold of something, but it was useless. Pain shot through multiple parts of his body, leading up to grand injury as his limp body landed on ground with a loud thud.

The poor teen groaned. All he could do was stare up at the night sky as his body's system was producing as many endorphins as it could. Double D took deep breaths and willed his body to get up, albeit slowly and shakily. He needed first aid badly, and knew that there was only one place where he could get it. Now that he was closer to them, he realized the lights he saw before were coming from the trailer park, a source of terror for Double D and his pals since childhood. To make matters worse, the only lights coming from any of the trailers was the one place Double D thought he'd never go to willingly; The Kanker's. His rational side said that the Kankers will just use this as an opportunity to take advantage of him. But his logical side said that if he didn't get his wounds tended, he could get an infection in one of his open cuts. Sighing and clutching his arms, he shambled his way towards the Kanker trailer and prayed this wouldn't turn out like a Stephen King book.

Fright filled him as he approached the trailer. Memories from years ago flooded his mind and made him recoil away from the door. He thought of all the times that he and his friends were tackled, held against their wills, or lured away so they could be forced into kissing sessions or playing footsie. Upon retrospect, they weren't bad situations, but something about those sisters, especially Marie, scared him. Maybe it was the fact that they could overpower both Double D and his friends. But as he stepped upwards to the door, he reflected on how the Kankers seem to have changed their behaviors. Now whenever the Eds passed them in the hallways, they were simply greeted with a wave, rather than a rib breaking glomp. This gave Double D the confidence to raise his lacerated hand, and knock on the door.

Marie Kanker was lying on her couch, with a bowl of popcorn centered on her stomach, watching an old horror movie. She was dressed in her comfiest sleeping clothes, which consisted of a lime green t-shirt and a pair of boxers. Getting bored with the movie, she picked up the remote and began flipping through the various channels on the tube. Before she could settle on a good program, Marie heard three small knocks at the door. This made Marie very annoyed. It was night time and she hated being disturbed. Placing the popcorn bowl on the coffee table, she angrily stormed to the door. Marie made sure there was a baseball bat next to the door in case whoever wanted her wouldn't leave. She opened the door and gasped at the sight.

"Double D!" Marie exclaimed. "What happened to you?" She had a right to sound concerned, as the fall Double D took was a bad one. Anything not covered by clothing was covered in dirt; there were small cuts all over his face and arms, with bruises to accompany them. His shirt was ripped almost completely, exposing some more scrapes on his chest.

"Marie..." Double D whispered. "I need....aid...please." His legs began shaking, a sign that they would soon give out. Marie noticed this and wrapped an arm around him to keep him balanced.

"C'mon in." She said gently. The two walked into the living room, where Marie proceeded to lie the boy down on the couch. Marie fluffed up the throw pillow she had put on the floor earlier and placed them behind Double D's head so he could relax. "Now what happened to you?"

"I accidentally stumbled down a hill. I didn't expect it to get dark so soon." Double D winced, trying to find a comfortable position on the couch.

"Well, daylight's savings times messes us all up." Marie said getting up and walking toward the kitchen. She came back with a white box in her hands, a sight Double D was very pleased to see. He adjusted himself on the couch so he could sit up and nurse his wounds. Marie sat down on the opposite end of the couch, and Double D reached for the first aid kit. "What do you think you're doing?" She asked playfully while pulling the kit to her bosom.

"I was hoping to treat my lacerations." He replied nervously. Marie grinned sinfully.

"Sorry, but you're cut up pretty badly. I'll do it for you." Marie smiled and edged closer to Eddward. Scared, Double D scooted backwards.

"B-but I...I'm perfectly capable of doing that, Marie." The boys stuttered. Marie opened the kit and took out sanitary wipes and bandages.

"I'm sure you are, but I want to make sure you heal one hundred percent." Said Marie with an honest smile. Double D looked at her and saw that she meant her words, so he extended his cut up arms and prepared for the familiar sting of antiseptic. "Um...your shirt's gonna have to come off." The girl giggled.

Double D's eyes bulged. He retracted his arms and covered his chest as Marie laughed.

"Oh come on!" She reasoned. "You've got a bunch of cuts all over you. I promise I won't do anything..." She batted her eyes and smiled. While Double D didn't want to take off his classic orange shirt, it was torn, and he could see specs of blood on it. He took a huge gulp and grabbed the bottom of the material. Looking away from Marie, he slowly brought the shirt up over his stomach, chest, and finally his head. After the shirt was off, Marie extended her hand to take it. He handed it over and did his best to ignore the feeling of self-consciousness he was feeling at that moment. Marie tossed the shirt casually behind the couch and picked up the wipes. She opened up a napkin package and gently took one of Double D's arms.

"This might sting a bit." Marie said calmly. Double D, by now used to antibacterial cleaning napkins, nodded his head. Marie took the wipe and went up and down Double D's arm, making sure not to press hard. After covering the entire arm, she tenderly blew a cool stream of air on the boy's cuts. Counting them out, Marie grabbed three bandages and applied them to Double D's thin arm. As soon as she was done, she reached for his other arm, which he willingly gave her. She repeated her process of wipe, dry slightly, blow and bandage up. Double D was impressed with how well she was helping him. Marie lowered his arm and bit her lip.

"I can either do your chest or back now." She said grinning. Double D turned his back to her and twiddled his fingers. He heard Marie tear open a new package and felt the cold wet, slight stinging sensation on his shoulders. Knowing that she would be working on his back for a little bit, he decided to make conversation.

"M-marie, you uh..." He stutteringly said. "You certainly are well advanced in first aid treatment." Marie giggled.

"Mom made a rule for me, May and Lee when were young. If we were going to beat each other up, we have to learn how to heal each other too. You wouldn't believe how many times I've had to set May's nose." Marie finished cleaning Double D's back and softly blew another gust of air on his back. She disposed of the napkin and covered his back with ten bandages. Marie reached for a new napkin and tore open the package. "Time for that chest now, shy guy."

Without word, Double D turned around and leaned back on his hands, so Marie could properly clean every scrape. As she applied the sterile pads to his chest, Double D noticed Marie. Her face had a look of concern mixed with care. Marie was smiling, creating small dimples in her freckled face. Her blue hair fell over her large, deep eyes, which were focused on each cut, making sure no germ would survive to infect him. He was really surprised by Marie's willingness to help him. Usually, whenever he was injured, he was left on his own to heal his wounds since his parents were rarely home. Like tonight.

Marie applied the last succession of breezes of air and bandages to the cut up teen. She closed the first aid kit and got up to return it. Double D marveled at her work. If there was one thing he could appreciate, it was someone who was good at suturing abrasions. He already felt ten times better than when he had walked in the trailer. A first for any of the Eds.

"Ya hungry?" She called from the kitchen. Almost simultaneously, Double D's stomach began to growl. It was almost nine, and he hadn't eaten since that afternoon. And with his parents gone, it was too late for him to fix anything for himself.

"Well, I am a bit peckish it seems." Double D called back. He sat back on the couch and took notice of how cold the room had become since losing his shirt and having cold antiseptic applied to his skin. He rubbed his arms for warmth and wondered what exactly Marie was doing in that kitchen of hers. A beep came from the far side of the trailer and a pungent scent wafted into Double D's nostrils. He looked over his shoulder and saw Marie with a tray that carried two steaming bowls with a yellow cloth draped over her arm.

"I hope you like Raman noodles." The blue haired teen said, placing the tray on the coffee table. She then tossed the cloth to Double D, who missed and picked it up off of the floor. "It's an old shirt of my Dad's, but you can wear it."

"Thank you for the noodles and the..." Double D trailed off, seeing the shirt had large red letters that said `SPRING BREAK `88!'. "The spare clothing." Marie smiled and took a bowl and handed to Double D. Without word, he quickly put on the shirt and took the offering. The two teens ate their quickly made meal. Wanting to break the silence, Double D spoke up.

"So Marie, where exactly are your sisters? I noticed I haven't been mauled yet." He jested. Marie laughed.

"Well, our mom is in this huge court battle with May and Lee's dads." She explained, chewing on a forkful of ramen. "Unlike my father, they haven't been paying their alimony and Mom is really angry. Until they get it resolved, I've got the entire trailer all to myself."

"Sorry to hear that." Double D replied, nearing the end of his meal.

"No need to be sorry, I love not having them around. I can do anything I want with no consequence." Marie said slyly. Marie finished her bowl and set it down. Double D did the same. He started to fidget as the silence grew, but Marie just smiled. "What about you? I mean there's gotta be a reason you stayed for dinner here. Your folks away, too?"

"Well, yes they are." He responded. "You see they both work for a company of sorts that sends them nearly all over the globe. They've worked there for nearly my entire life, so by now I'm used to staying home alone."

"That's kinda sad." Marie said with pity. "I mean, with May and Lee gone it's kind of a vacation, but you're saying your parents rarely live with you?" Double D looked down at his lap and rubbed his palms.

"Well, I mean...Ed and Eddy are always around. And I...kind of...I think of them as brothers to be honest." Double D looked up at Marie and should could see the honesty in his admittance, and her heart melted. She gave a big smile, which made Double D smile back. Marie looked at the clock and noticed how late it was. A lovely idea popped into her head.

"You know, it's getting late..." She started to say. "And since it's so dark outside, you want to stay over here for the night?" Double D's eyes went wide. He had never stayed over at a girl's house before, and he didn't expect to do so so soon in his life. He bit his lip. Marie had been so comforting to him. Was that a plan of hers to get him to let his guard down so she could take advantage of him in the middle of the night? Or was she being genuine in her offer?

"C'mon, we can both sleep soundly knowing there's someone else around. You know, just in case?" Marie put on a charming face. Double D had to admit, he would be able to sleep better if another person was in close proximity. He decided it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world to spend the night with Marie Kanker.

"Just remember, we have school tomorrow." He said lying back into the couch. Marie grinned happily and jumped off the couch. She ran up to her room to get Double D some blankets and a decent pillow. Double D took off his shoes and put them neatly next to the couch. Marie came back in and handed him the sleeping materials. He placed the blankets and pillow next to him and looked up to Marie.

"Thank you for...well everything, Marie." Double D said contently.

"No problem, dreamboat." Marie replied. "Bathroom's down the hall, to the left. If you need anything, I'm upstairs in my room. Don't be afraid to come to me if you have a nightmare." Marie winked and turned toward the stairs. Double D lied back on the couch, snuggling under the warm blankets provided to him. He saw the lights of the living room flicker off and heard a call from upstairs.

"Nighty night, Double D." She softly called.

"Good night, Marie." He called back.

Double D closed his eyes and rested his head on the extremely soft pillow. He opened his eyes to look toward the top of the stairs. He thought of how lucky he was to have formed this kinship with Marie. He thought about how great a provider Marie was, how funny she was...how cute she was. He jerked up. Did he just think the word cute? Of all the words in his vocabulary, that was a word he used about as much as swear words. He lied down again. Why was he feeling this way? Did he like Marie? He certainly appreciated having her with him, but like? Double D closed his eyes and began to drift into a peaceful slumber. But the last thing he thought of was Marie, rubbing his chest and blowing cool air on him.

"I think I like her..." Double D mumbled, succumbing to the welcome of unconsciousness.

**Next Chapter- "TGIM"**


	3. TGIM

_(A/N): Thanks for all the nice comments everybody. I'm truly sorry to keep those of you enjoying the story waiting. I started college and have also been through some personal stuff. Stay with the story and I'll do my best to make it rewarding, including a future chapter with a steamy scene between Edd and Marie_

A loud popping sound made his eyes go wide, but the bright light's presence on his dilated eyes made him close them right back. Upon remembering that he had school that day, he had to force himself to open his eyes again. Confusion set upon him seeing his sleeping pallet on a strange couch that wasn't his, in a living room that wasn't his, wearing a shirt that wasn't his. What had happened? More popping sounds filled the air as the grogginess that was pestering his brain slowly lessened...and then he remembered. Double D remembered everything about last night. He remembered falling and injuring himself, stumbling in the darkness to the trailer park, Marie applying bandages to him, and everything else that was said or done.

He stood up, stretched his arms and yawned. He adjusted his cap and walked toward the popping sound, which sounded like it was coming from the kitchen. Slowly walking in, he saw the familiar blue-haired girl standing over the stove and humming softly. Double D was conflicted. A small part of him wanted to sneak out of this messy trailer, but a larger, more polite part told him he couldn't do that. Not after all that Marie had done for him. He decided to acknowledge himself to the room by clearing his throat. Marie turned around and smiled. Double D noticed she was wearing her uniform of green jeans, sleeveless black shirt and spiked bracelets. Comically clashing this outfit though was an pink apron with frills that said, "(Tongue) Kiss the Cook".

"Morning sleepyhead, I'm making bacon! Take a seat," She said smoothly. Double D nervously walked over to the table and sat down. Marie removed the bacon from the slightly rusting pan and divided the pieces evenly onto two paper plates. She untied the back of her apron and threw it behind her, letting it fall on the middle of the kitchen floor. "Bone appetite, cutie pie." Marie said handing over a plate while Double D tried to ignore Marie's butchering of the French language.

Double D always did his best to be polite, but when you're as obsessive over as many little things as him, it's quite a challenge. He enjoyed bacon as much as anyone else, but Marie's style left the strips extremely greasy. He took a piece from his plate and looked at Marie, who had a face, which was looking for approval. He cursed his polite ways and bit into the soggy meat. The warm chunk practically slid itself down his throat and into his apprehensive stomach. He applied a crooked smile and Marie was pleased.

"All right, now finish the rest, we gotta leave for school in fifteen minutes." Marie said, cramming a large slice into her mouth. Double D almost choked on his second bite of bacon.

"What?!" He yelled, hacking the piece out of his throat. He looked for a clock and saw that Marie was indeed correct and that school would start in over a quarter of an hour. "I'm not ready! I haven't had a shower and my clothes are at my house and....and...." He started hyperventilating. Marie got up and led him back to his seat. She put her arms on his shoulders and tried soothing him.

"Calm down. Just go take a quick shower, and I'll find something for you to wear, ok?" Marie said rubbing his shoulders. Double D gulped. He had never been late for school and he did not intend to start now. But something about bathing in another's bathroom made him uneasy. And what did she mean by having clothes for him? Did Marie have more gaudy clothing of her father's? Double D stood up and tried convincing Marie to go by his house. She wasn't swayed.

"Double D, no backtalk. Hurry now before I wash you myself!" Marie playfully commanded, followed by a firm swat on his backside, sending him off to the bathroom quickly.

He entered the bathroom with caution. Just as he feared, it was untidy, complete with used cotton balls and crumpled panties lying on the tiles. Double D closed his eyes, thought about getting to school on time, and began undressing as fast as he could. He scampered into the shower stall, slid back the curtain, and turned on the water. He barely paid attention to the extreme coldness of the cascading water, instead focusing on finding where the soap was. Double D was slightly disconcerted as he was used to washing with a loofah, and all he found was a green bar of soap on a dish in the corner.

"If I must..." He said, grabbing the soap and lathering himself quickly. As he began to coat his body in suds, a thought crossed his mind. What kind of clothes did Marie have for him? More of her father's hand-me-downs? Not that they were uncomfortable or improperly washed, but the obsessive-compulsive youth was used to his uniform of orange shirts and purple shorts. Finishing up scrubbing, Double D turned off the water and peeked out to look for a towel. He noticed the toilet now had a large, fluffy towel on it. Stepping out, he grabbed for the towel and began drying himself off with incredible speed. Double D glanced back at where he grabbed his towel and saw that there were some familiar items in its place. His eyes widened when he realized the items were in fact his clothes.

Normally, Double D would wonder why exactly Marie had spare clothing for him, but school was starting soon and he had to go. Tossing the towel on curtain rack, he dressed in his normal attire and sped out the door towards the living room where Marie was waiting with keys in her hand. She gave him a mischievous grin and walked toward the door.

"All soaped up?" She asked opening the doorway and stepping out. Edd her followed with speed and jogged toward the red pick up Marie was getting into. The closer he got, the larger the vehicle seemed. Right as he approached the truck, the door suddenly swung toward him, causing him to fall back to the ground with a shriek. The blue haired minx popped her head out and laughed. "Get off the ground, Mr. Clean, you just took a shower!"

Double D picked himself up and got into the truck. The burgundy interior frightened the boy. Trash consisting of old fast food bags and empty soda bottles covered the floor and the seats had various stains that made him shake in place. Mary started up the vehicle and adjusted the mirror.

"You don't need anything from your house, do you?" Marie asked pulling out of her spot.

"No..." But before Double D could explain his reasoning why, Marie put her foot on the gas pedal and sped out of the trailer park as soon as she heard 'no'. Double D grabbed his seatbelt and hastily put it on as the Kanker girl pulled out into traffic and proceeded to bob and weave through other cars. Despite him being tenser than a frog in a science lab, Marie was quite relaxed as she hurried to get to school on time. Normally she didn't care if she was late, but she knew how much Double D was devoted to his academic career.

"Hold onto something!" Marie exclaimed as Peach Creek High School entered her sight. Double D gripped his seat, closed his eyes and began a silent prayer. Pulling into the student parking lot at breakneck speed, Marie stomped the brake pedal as the truck squealed into her designated spot. She put the truck into park and turned off the car.

"We're here." She said unbuckling her seat belt. She looked over at Double D, who was still clinging to his seat for dear life. Marie snapped her fingers in front of his face to get him to snap out of it. The boy opened his eyes and would've fallen to the floor of the truck had his seatbelt not kept him in place. "You comin'?"

Double D unfastened his seatbelt and shakily exited the vehicle of doom. He regained his composure and walked with Marie towards the main building of the school. Loud bells began ringing, signifying classes would be starting soon. Double D grimaced and looked at Marie.

"I've got to hurry, Marie. My art teacher is adamant about his students being on time." The boy said as he prepared to run off. His halt was stopped by a force jerking him backwards.

"I'll give you a ride if you need it after school." Marie said suggestively.

"Um....thank you Marie, but Ed and Eddy are off their punishment this week, I'll just catch a ride with them!" He hastily said as he squirmed out of her clutch. "I'll talk to you later!" Double D replied as he ran off to class.

Double D, for the first time in his life, had trouble focusing in class. As much as it didn't make sense to him, he couldn't stop thinking about Marie Kanker. For years, he was unnerved at the thought of her obsession with him. He thought back to all the times he had been humiliated at her and her sisters' hands. All the pranks, all the invading of his personal space, all the forced kissing sessions. Eddward recalled a recurring nightmare of Marie he had been having ever since he turned thirteen. In his dream, he would be dressed up in a nice business suit, walking up to a house painted in bright colors with a neatly groomed lawn. He'd enter the house and set down his briefcase. As if on cue, Marie, dressed like a housewife from the fifties, came in and gave him a kiss on the cheek. He would embrace her, and the two would walk hand in hand to a cozy couch by a fireplace.

Double D had read about recurring dreams. He found that dreams were usually the result of the subconscious mind trying to solve problems the conscious mind could not solve. But originally that stumped him. How could he have feelings for someone subconsciously, when in reality he was scared to death of said someone? Now thanks to last night's actions, these thoughts were on the forefront of his mind and he couldn't get rid of them. They bugged him all day and in every one of his classes. He was relieved when the final bell of the day rang. He could surround himself with his friends and hopefully put his thoughts of Marie in the back of his head. He exited his algebra class and when out to the front of the school where he saw Ed and Eddy horsing around.

"Give it back, Eddy! Please!" Ed bawled as Double D stepped out into the fresh air. Ed was on his knees and had his hands clasped in a begging grip. "I said I was sorry! Have a heart!"

"You're lucky I'm only taking one, Ed!" Eddy snapped, putting on his bookbag. "I missed the Miss Peach Creek Pageant because of you." he growled.

"What are you doing to the poor guy, Eddy?" Double D asked as Eddy gritted his teeth.

"Eddy took my signed #0 issue of _Bloodcurdling Tales of the Unknown _signed by D. Antonucci!" Ed cried as he bear hugged Double D's waist. "All because I spilled coffee on Jonny and Rolf!"

"And Sarah, Jimmy, Nazz, and somehow, Kevin!" Eddy shouted as he led his friends to the van they restored the previous summer. Sneakily, Double D crept up to Eddy's bookbag and unzipped it carefully. He slid the comic out and handed it to Ed, who responded with a goofy grin.

In the corner of his eye, Double D could see the far side of the parking lot, where a red truck was parked. He stood still and saw a familiar blue-haired girl waving her fingers back at him. His arm slowly began to raise, but a loud car horn blared and knocked him to the ground.

"You coming or what, Sockhead?" Eddy yelled from the van.

"I've got to talk to someone about this." The boy muttered as he got back up.

**Next Chapter- "Tuesday Special"**

_(A/N): Again really sorry. I know this might not of reached expectations readers might of had._


	4. Tuesday Special

_(A/N) First things first, I want to apologize for abandoning this story. I'm sorry, but for a while now I've been apathetic to writing. But I do appreciate the nice comments on this story. I'm not saying the more I get the quicker the next chapter will be up, but I do appreciate any feedback. Enjoy the chapter that took over a year to make._

__**Tuesday Special**

Double D woke up to the sound of his buzzing alarm clock on a grey Tuesday morning. Having spent the previous night working on a school project and only getting three hours of sleep due to dreams of Marie, the boy was sluggish as he got out of his bed and journeyed to his bathroom. Double D looked at himself in a mirror and noticed bags were forming around his eyes. Edd noted that these dreams were just affecting his sleep patterns more and more. Thankfully, he came up with a solution late last night.

He yawned and began his morning cleansing ritual. Stripping his sleeping clothes off, Edd stepped into his shower and recoiled at the shock of cold water touching his unexpecting skin. Gritting his teeth, the youth grabbed his soap and shampoo and proceeded to wash everything, everywhere. After two minutes of vigorous scrubbing, Double D rinsed off and jumped out of the icey stall. He shivered as he toweled off and hurriedly put on his clothes.

Edd was practically on autopilot as he finished the rest of his morning routine. After spending the night with Marie, there was barely a moment where she wasn't on his mind. As he ate his breakfast of grapefruit and Chunky Puffs, the boy planned out what he was going to do today. Double D had decided to talk to someone about these confusing feelings he was having. While eating, he began to cross off people in his mind he knew wouldn't be of much help. Ed and Eddy were off, at least until he was more sure about his feelings. Jonny and Rolf wouldn't be much help either, since Rolf's advice was...antiquated to say the least and Jonny...was Jonny. Kevin seemed to be a good choice, but an even better choice would be his on-again, off-again girlfriend Nazz. Double D smiled as he finished the last bite of his breakfast.

After fifteen minutes of casual reading, Double D heard the loud blaring of Eddy's van outside. Rather than call his friends, Eddy preferred to be as obnoxious as possible and have his friends come to him. Edd walked outside, backpack in hand and prepared to solve his confusing problem.

"TGIT, fellas!" Ed screamed as he ran to the van, struggling to put on his jacket. Ed was never late, but he was a bad procrastinator when it came to his outfits. He got on his jacket and crashed right into the van's side door. Eddy began to bellow laughter, as Double D rushed over to his aide.

"Ed!" he cried. "Are you alright?"

"A-Okay, Mr. Mom!" Ed blithered out. Double D checked to make sure Ed wasn't bleeding and the two got into the vehicle. The boys travelled to their high school as they always did. Recklessly and inattentively. Though, Double D was actually grateful as his friend swerved and looped through the traffic. As bad a driver as Eddy was, he was a far sight better than Marie Kanker when she was in a rush. The Eds arrived at their alma mater and pulled into the parking lot. Eddy began to fume when he realized that a familiar red car was parked in his usual spot.

"That shovel-chinned jerk!" Eddy yelled as he was forced to find another space. "He knows I park there everyday!"

"Eddy, you know those spots aren't assigned." Double D chimed. His words did nothing to assuage his friend as Eddy reluctantly pulled into a spot farther down the lot.

"Great. Now by the time school's out, these seats are gonna be on fire!" Eddy grimaced angirly, grabbing his bookbag and getting out to slam his door shut. The other boys followed suit, getting out of the ancient van.

"Talk about rump roast! Right Double D?" Ed joked with a loud laugh. Double D smiled and gave his friend a pat on the back.

"Quite humorous, Ed." He said as the three went made their way to the building. On the way, the boys passed by Kevin's bright red car, Eddy began to seethe and nearly went berserk on the vehicle. Double D thankfully convinced him to keep him on the path by assuring him that he could get revenge during gym class. As he passed the car, though, Edd noticed that Kevin was in his car, and that Nazz was in the passenger's seat next to him. Thinking quickly, Double D made up a lie about dropping his phone in the van and waited until his friends were in the building to make his move. He walked over to the car and knocked on the window. The window rolled down slowly and a cloud of smoke billowed out.

"Can I help you, dork?" A red haired teenager asked, with a cigarette bobbing from his lips. Kevin had changed little over the years, save for a whispy goatee growing off the end of his chin. His relationship with the Eds was about the same as it ever was, though he was much less hostile towards them as the years went on. Double D began to cough and wave his hand around to disperse the smoke.

"I was wondering..." Double D asked in between coughs. "...if I could talk to Nazz quickly."

Nazz perked up at the mention of her name. She took a long drag from her cigarette and put it in the car's ash tray. The pert young girl exited the car and stood up smiling at Double D. Puberty had been kind to Nazz and she was one of the prettiest girls at the school, though Edd could hardly stand her habit of smoking.

"What's up, Double D?" She said as a puff of smoke exited her mouth. Nazz brushed a hand through her hair and leaned on the car. Double D gulped. He didn't really think of what he was going to ask.

"Umm...well Nazz..." The youth stuttered. "I was wondering if I could ask for your advice for something?"

Nazz giggled at Double D. Even though he was sixteen years old, he was just as nervous as the day she met him.

"Sure Double D. What's going on?" The girl walked around the car and got closer to the young man. She crossed her arms and noticed that Double D was fidgeting with his fingers. Whatever he needed advice on was something big.

"Well..." He started. "It's...about...a girl of sorts" Edd tensed up slightly when he saw the reactions of his peers. Kevin had an absolutely dumbstruck look on his face, so much so that his cigarette fell from his lips. Nazz, on the other hand, had an look of excitement on her face. Double D barely had time to react before Nazz jumped over the hood of the car and gave him a hug only outmatched in strength by Ed.

"Double D, you have a girlfriend? That is so sweet!" She cooed. "We should totally double date! We could hit the mall. I'll go shopping with your new squeeze and you guys can hold our bags! Or maybe that new restaurant downtown, it's supposed to be really great. You're not allergic to lobster are you? Oh! You guys know what we should do? Road trip! We could go to a bed and breakfast!"

As Nazz hyperactively listed all the couples activities she'd been wanting to do since she'd heard of the concept of double dates, Double D wriggled his way out of Nazz's bear hug. He finally broke free and landed face first onto the hot asphalt ground. Nazz hurriedly picked him up and dusted him off.

"Double D, you're such a klutz!" The girl giggled.

"Thank you Nazz..." The boy meekly said. "But I have to say, you might've jumped the gun slightly. You see, I'm not exactly dating anyone right now."

"Oh..." Nazz said as her face began to turn beet red.

"But I do have a problem you can help me with." Double D then began to spill everything that had happened over the last two days. He told her how Marie had nursed him back to health, made him dinner, and how ever since their night together he couldn't stop thinking about Marie. After he was done, he took a big sigh and leaned on Kevin's car. "What do you make of it?"

"Gee, Double D, for a smart guy, you're kinda dumb when it comes to anything other than school stuff." Nazz said with a sly smile.

"Wha...what do you mean?"

"You've got a crush on her you big dope!" Nazz said as she gave Double D a playful playful push. "Sounds to me like you've had a crush on her for a long time, but you repressed it because of your friends feelings toward the Kankers. But when Marie showed you a softer side, she opened up those feelings again."

Double D was dumbfounded. "That...was quite an astute observation Nazz. How exactly did you articulate those thoughts?"

"I read my mom's pop psych magazines." Nazz said with her usual bubbly tone.

"Yes...well. What exactly should I do about it?". Double D asked.

"Uh, what everybody else does when the have a crush on anybody." Nazz paused. She looked at Double D, who looked right back at her. "Talk to her about it you goof!" She hammered with a friendly punch to his arm. Double D rubbed his arm.

"Thanks Nazz."

"No problem, Double D." She said as she went back into the car to fit in a quick snogging session with her boyfriend. She popped her head out of Kevin's window suddenly. "And make sure to tell me how it goes! I still want to go to that bed and breakfast!"

"Of course Nazz." Double D waved back as he made his way toward the school. Talk to Marie? Could he really do that? The mere thought made his stomach tie into knots. It's not like Double D had never been interested in girls before. Just last year, Double D became quite close with the school's foreign exchange student. But before they became more than friends, she had to go back to China. However, these feelings were much more intense than they ever were with his long distance damsel. When Double D thought of Marie, he thought of her hair, her scent, her manner of dress, her freckles, her laugh. And every aspect of her just made her that much more alluring.

The day went by mostly uneventfully. The results of his math class's tests were returned and of course, Double D had the highest score. His history class was assigned a group project and of course, everyone wanted to be on Double D's team. At lunch Double D observed as Rolf caused a ruckus when he found out that the school was planning on switching to a vegetarian menu two days out of the week. As the remainder of the day passed by Edd continued to evalaute his feelings. When he thought about Marie it made him happy. When he imagined kissing Marie, it made him smile. When the idea of him calling her his girlfriend and Marie calling him her boyfriend crossed his mind, he realized that that was quite pleasant. As the last bell of the day rung, Double D sat out near the front of his school waiting for his friends. During that time, he was finally able to really say what he felt.

"I like Marie Kanker." He said to himself. That felt good to him. He wondered why he wasn't able to come to such a conclusion earlier in his life. Then he was reminded why by the sounds of the school's doors being slammed open.

"Freedom!" Eddy yelled into the sky. Ed followed behind him with his trademark goofy grin. Double D then remembered his friends' personal vendettas against the Kanker family. He wondered what Eddy would do if he found out about his feelings for Marie. Double D sighed. As much as he cared for his friends, confronting Marie was something he had to do. "So, who's up for burgers and fries?" Eddy pondered to his friends.

"Burgers and fries, burgers and fries!" Ed chanted.

"Actually, fellows, I have to get home. There was a new project assigned today and it's best if I go ahead and get my part out of the way." Double D hated lying to his friends, but he knew they wouldn't understand. The face Ed was putting on was nearly too much for him to bear.

"But Double D!" The boy pleaded. We didn't hang out last night and now you're going home? I miss you!" Ed cried as he collapsed into his friends shoulder.

"Yeah Doublemint, ever since Ed and I got ungrounded, you've been pretty scarce. What's the deal?" Eddy questioned.

"It's nothing...I'll see you guys in the morning, okay?" Double D worked Ed off of him and began to jog home. Ed and Eddy both had confused looks on their faces as their friends scurried off home.

"C'mon Ed, if he doesn't want the best burgers you can find for under fifty cents, that's his problem." Eddy said walking to his van. Ed sadly followed when he couldn't see Double D in his line of vision anymore.

Double D made it back to his house and began to think. How exactly would he talk to Marie? Maybe he could fake another injury and go back to ask Marie to help? Too suspicious. Possibly drop by with flowers and candy? That was just lame. He lied back on his couch, and closed his eyes trying to think of a way to get to Marie. Then it hit him. He knew exactly what he was going to do. All he had to do was call her on the phone. He ran towards the phone in the kitchen, but then it struck him. He didn't know her number. The boy looked around, trying to find a phonebook, then it occurred to him, it was in his father's study. He ran all over the house, both to his father's study, then back to the kitchen. Flipping through the book, Edd searched high and low for the Kanker's number. All of a sudden he found it! He grabbed the phone and looked and the number...

But he couldn't dial the number. That familiar tangle of knots reappeared in his stomach and negative thoughts danced in his mind. What if he completely misread Marie? What if she shot him down? What if his voice cracked while talking to her? He shakingly hung up the phone. Double D twittered his fingers and began to sweat. Hours passed by as he stared at the phone. Occasionally he would reach for it, only for another bad thought to put his hand down. What could he do? It was nearly 10:00pm and he stilll hadn't called her. Double D resigned himself and got up to prepare to go to bed. But something caught his eye on the way out of the kitchen. It was the note his mother left for him while his parents were away. It was the occasional chore list but at the bottom there was something that lifted his spirits.

_ I know you have a lot of work this week Eddward, but you're a smart boy. When you put your mind to it there's nothing you can't do._

Double D grinned. His mother was right. He had been though a lot more complicated tasks than talking to girls, so what was he worried about. He marched back to the phone, looked up the number and then dialed with confidence. He was feeling good as he heard the other end of the phone ringing. But the moment the receiver picked up and he heard Marie's voice, his mouth went dry.

"Hello?" A soft voice on the other end asked groggily.

"Uh...um...hello Marie?" Double D stuttered. He shook himself off and went about his task. "It's Double D. I didn't wake you did I?

"No..." She yawned. "It's just been a long day, y'know?".

"I certainly do." Double D smiled. "I was just calling because I heard that your English class got a big assignment today."

"Oh yeah, thanks for reminding me." She said sarcastically. "It's not that bad, I'm just not a fan of Shakespeare. Or writing. Or school."

Double D laughed. "Well I was calling because I did a similar assignment last year and I was wondering if you could use my assistance." Double D then nervously swallowed.

Although he couldn't see it, on the other end of the telephone line, Marie was smiling widely.

"Yes!" She shouted. "I...I mean yes. I would like some help please."

"Wonderful. Maybe we could meet after school?" Double D posited.

"Sure." Marie responded warmly. "I'll give us a ride back to my house and we can work together."

"Great. So, I'll see you tomorrow?" Double D asked.

"It's a date." Marie smoothly said.

Date. The word rang around in his head over and over and over. He had a date with Marie. Granted it was a study date, but still, he was going to be spending time with Marie. Alone! There he could talk to her about how he felt, and from there, who knows? Double D got ready for bed with a smile on his face. All the time he was showering, brushing his teeth and getting his pajamas on, he was grinning ear to ear. After setting his alarm clock, he snuggled up into bed and closed his eyes.

"I've got a date!" He shouted to himself.

**Next Chapter- "Wednesday's Children"**


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